Our Last Day in Quebec

Our final full day in Quebec City turned out to be the perfect way to end the trip. We spent the morning wandering through Old Quebec, visited not one but two Notre Dame churches, discovered even more history, made our way back through Petit Champlain, and then finally did something we had been looking forward to all week, getting out on the water.

After a scenic cruise along the St. Lawrence River, we finished our trip with what would become one of the most memorable dinners we have ever had. It was the perfect ending to four fantastic days in Quebec.

Breakfast at Au Petit Coin Breton

We started the morning at Au Petit Coin Breton, a quaint little restaurant just a short walk from our hotel. The restaurant had so much character, and we were seated upstairs in a cozy dining room overlooking the street.

Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of breakfast, which is not exactly ideal when you are writing a travel blog. Apparently, we were too hungry because by the time I remembered, breakfast was gone. Trust me though, it was delicious.

Au Petit Coin Breton had been part of Quebec City’s restaurant scene since 1963 and was known for its Breton style crêpes and longtime family ownership. Sadly, after more than 60 years in business, the restaurant permanently closed in September 2026, so looking back, I am especially glad we had the opportunity to experience it during our trip.

Basilique Cathédrale Notre Dame de Québec

After breakfast, we walked just a few streets from our hotel to visit the Basilique Cathédrale Notre Dame de Québec in Upper Town. If you have been following along on this trip, you might remember that there is more than one Notre Dame in Quebec City, which can get a little confusing.

From the outside, the church does not appear nearly as massive as the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré that we visited the day before, but once we stepped inside, we were surprised by how ornate it was. There is gold everywhere, and the altar, artwork, architectural details and beautiful ceiling make the interior feel much grander than the exterior suggests.

The history here is pretty incredible too. The roots of the cathedral date back to 1647, and it serves the first Catholic parish established in North America north of Mexico. It became a cathedral in 1674 when François de Laval selected it as the seat of the Diocese of Québec. Over the centuries, it survived shelling, fires and several major reconstructions.

One thing Scott and I continued to appreciate throughout Quebec City was that we could simply be walking down a street and suddenly find ourselves standing inside a building with hundreds of years of history. From the cathedral, we continued walking toward the St. Lawrence River.

Cannons, History and One Amazing View

Eventually we reached Montmorency Park, which sits high above Lower Town and offers a beautiful view toward Place Royale and the St. Lawrence River. This was another one of those places that we stumbled upon while walking and ended up spending more time exploring than expected.

Along the edge of the park are several large cannons, reminders that this area was once part of Quebec City’s military defenses. Because Quebec sat at such an important location along the St. Lawrence River, protecting the city from attack was critical, and artillery positioned along the heights helped defend the approaches to the fortified city.

Montmorency Park also has an important place in Canadian political history. For nearly a century, different legislative governments met on this site, including the Parliament of Lower Canada and later the Parliament of the Province of Canada. The site also played a role in the Quebec Conference of 1864, where delegates worked on the resolutions that ultimately helped form the foundation of Canadian Confederation in 1867.

There is also a statue of Sir George Étienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Confederation. Cartier was one of the most influential political leaders of his era and played a major role in bringing Quebec into Confederation and shaping the new Canadian government.

From here, the views across the St. Lawrence River were fantastic. It is amazing how many times during this trip we found ourselves simply stopping to look at the river, although that probably should not surprise anyone who follows Boating Journey because put us near water and we are happy.

Back Down to Petit Champlain

From the overlook, Scott and I continued toward Lower Town, making our way through the Passage de la Batterie and eventually reaching one of the most photographed little streets in Quebec City, Umbrella Alley.

Its actual name is Rue du Cul de Sac, but during the summer colorful umbrellas are suspended above the street, turning an already picturesque area into one giant photo opportunity. Naturally, I had to take pictures.

From there we found ourselves back in Quartier Petit Champlain and Place Royale, which had become one of our favorite areas of Quebec City. This is also where we found our second Notre Dame of the morning.

Notre Dame des Victoires

Sitting directly in Place Royale is the beautiful Notre Dame des Victoires Church. This church is much smaller than the cathedral we had visited earlier that morning, but its history is fascinating.

Construction began in 1688 on the site where Samuel de Champlain had established his original habitation. The church was later named Notre Dame des Victoires to commemorate French victories over attempted British invasions in 1690 and 1711. It was heavily damaged during the bombardment of Quebec in 1759 and later rebuilt.

The church is considered one of the most authentic surviving buildings from the French colonial era in Place Royale. By this point, we had officially visited both Notre Dames, so we decided it was time for a mimosa.

A Mimosa at Pub L’Oncle Antoine

Just around the corner, we stopped at Pub L’Oncle Antoine, which was actually a place we had originally considered eating at because the interior is so unique. The pub is tucked into old stone vaults beneath a historic building, with arched stone and brick ceilings, a fireplace and the kind of atmosphere that immediately makes you feel like you are somewhere in Europe rather than North America.

Ironically, after wanting to see the inside, we ended up sitting outside. It was such a beautiful day that we grabbed a table on the upper terrace overlooking the square and ordered mimosas instead, which was a pretty nice way to spend part of the late morning.

Lunch at Nacho Pub

Eventually it was time to meet back up with Ben and Maria for lunch, and where did we go? Nacho Pub, which pretty much tells you exactly what kind of restaurant it is.

We ordered a few cold beers and shared nachos while sitting in the heart of Petit Champlain. After several days of French cuisine, fantastic breakfasts and elaborate meals, sometimes cold beer and a giant plate of nachos is exactly what you need. However, we ordered them with “ground beef” and they came with a chopped up hamburger patty! LOL

We could not linger too long though because it was finally time for our afternoon cruise. After spending the entire trip looking at the St. Lawrence River, we were ready to experience Quebec City from the water.

Cruising the St. Lawrence River

We booked our sightseeing cruise through Capital One Travel, and the cruise itself was operated by Croisières AML, which is the primary sightseeing cruise operator in Quebec City. The cruise lasts just under two hours, and there are drinks and snacks available onboard.

Naturally, we spent most of our time outside enjoying the scenery. There were a few pretty nasty looking rain squalls in the distance that afternoon, and at a few points we were convinced we were going to get soaked, but luckily we managed to steer clear of all of them.

For us, the cruise was not necessarily about learning every historical detail along the route. It was simply a nice way to spend part of the afternoon on the water and see Quebec City from a completely different perspective.

From the river, you get beautiful views of Old Quebec and Château Frontenac rising above the waterfront. Our route also brought us back toward Île d’Orléans and directly in front of Montmorency Falls, so after seeing the falls from land the day before, it was fun getting another view of them from the river.

For anyone visiting Quebec City, I would definitely recommend making time for the cruise, especially if the weather is nice. We had been looking at the St. Lawrence River for four days, so finally being out on it was the perfect way to spend our final afternoon.

Our walk back from the cruise didn’t disappoint with more colorful buildings and active scenery!

Saving the Best Dinner for Last

That evening, we had reservations at Le Saint Amour, a restaurant that has been part of Quebec City’s dining scene since 1978. We knew it was going to be a fancy dinner, but we really did not know exactly what to expect when we arrived.

Originally, we thought we would simply order dinner from the regular menu. Then we saw that they offered a seven course tasting menu, and since all four of us love food, there was no way we were passing that up.

What followed was one of those dinners that was not just about eating. It really was an experience, and each course was beautifully presented with some kind of element that made it memorable.

The staff did an excellent job explaining every dish, and many of the courses were interactive. Sometimes they would bring out the dish and pour a sauce over it at the table, while another course might come with instructions about how the chef wanted us to eat it.

One of the most memorable dishes was smoked quail, with the legs and breast arriving in a wooden box filled with smoke. When they opened the box at the table, the smoke poured out around the dish, and it was one of those presentations you simply do not forget.

That is one of the things I love about a great tasting menu. You get to experience ingredients, combinations and cooking techniques that you would probably never attempt to make yourself, and every course was completely different from the one before it. To really get a true perspective, watch our YouTube episode (see link below).

Le Saint Amour has long been recognized as one of Quebec City’s premier fine dining restaurants and was added to the Michelin Guide’s recommended restaurants for Quebec in 2026. It does not currently hold a Michelin star, but the restaurant is known for its French cuisine, refined service and focus on Quebec ingredients.

And yes, this was definitely a splurge. For the four of us, our dinner came to around $1,200 Canadian, including a bottle of bubbly when we arrived and a glass of wine each with dinner.

It certainly was not cheap, but for us it was absolutely worth doing once. The meal was exceptional, the service was fantastic and it was the perfect dinner for our final night in Quebec City.

The Perfect Ending to an Amazing Trip

When we originally planned this trip, I am not sure any of us realized how much we were going to enjoy Quebec City. There is history around practically every corner, the food was incredible, the architecture is beautiful and you can spend hours simply walking through Old Quebec and Petit Champlain without ever really having a plan.

For anyone looking for an international feeling vacation without actually leaving North America, Quebec City should absolutely be on your list. There were so many moments when I felt like we were walking through a small town somewhere in France rather than Canada, which is part of what made this trip so unique.

While we visited during warmer weather, I have seen photos of Quebec City covered in snow and decorated for the holidays, and it looks absolutely magical. I am sure we will return again someday because four days of fantastic meals, incredible history, beautiful scenery, great friends and time out on the water made this one of our favorite trips.

Thanks for following along on our Quebec City adventure. Be sure to subscribe to Boating Journey as we continue sharing our travels, boating adventures and behind the scenes journeys from destinations around the world.

Cheers, Scott and Ally

Exploring outside of Quebec City

Day 3 in Quebec City took us outside the walls of Old Quebec for a half day tour of some of the most popular attractions in the surrounding countryside. Our itinerary included Montmorency Falls, Île d’Orléans, Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans, the Albert Gilles Copper Art Museum and the incredible Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré.

It was a full morning of sightseeing, history, chocolate and some absolutely beautiful scenery. Then, because apparently we had not done enough eating and drinking yet, we returned to Quebec City and somehow turned dinner into an impromptu pub crawl.

Sometimes those unplanned evenings end up being the most fun.

Breakfast at Cochon Dingue

Before boarding our tour bus, we started the morning with a fantastic breakfast at Cochon Dingue. We had eaten very well throughout our Quebec City trip, and breakfast was certainly no exception. Scott ordered a skillet filled with potatoes, eggs and bacon, while I went with a BLT sandwich with pork. Both were delicious and exactly what we needed before spending the next several hours touring the countryside.

After breakfast, we made our way to the tour bus. There were about 40 people on the tour, and our first destination was just outside Quebec City at Montmorency Falls.

Our First Stop: Montmorency Falls

You really cannot appreciate the size and power of Montmorency Falls until you see it in person. At 83 meters, or about 272 feet tall, Montmorency Falls is actually taller than Niagara Falls. The park is only about 15 minutes from Old Quebec, which makes it a very easy excursion if you are staying in Quebec City.

Our tour allowed us about an hour and a half at the falls. There are several different ways to explore the park, but rather than trying to cram everything into our limited time, we simply followed the walking trail toward the falls. The closer we got, the more impressive they became. And the wetter everyone became.

You can walk all the way toward the base of the falls, but once we saw how soaked the people coming back from that area were, we decided we were perfectly happy admiring them from a slightly safer distance. Seriously, unless you are prepared to get wet, do not get too close. Even from farther back, you can feel the mist and hear the tremendous roar of the water. After taking plenty of photos and enjoying the views, we headed back to the bus and continued toward Île d’Orléans.

Exploring the Countryside of Île d’Orléans

Once we crossed onto Île d’Orléans, the scenery completely changed. Just a short distance from Quebec City, the island feels wonderfully rural, with farms, old homes, small villages and views of the St. Lawrence River around nearly every corner.

Île d’Orléans is approximately 34 kilometers long and 8 kilometers wide, and agriculture still occupies almost 95 percent of the island. It is also historically significant as one of the earliest settlements in the St. Lawrence Valley. About 300 French families settled on the island during the 17th century, and their descendants eventually spread throughout North America. The island was officially declared a heritage site in 1970.

Driving through the countryside was one of those moments where you realize how quickly you can go from the busy streets and historic architecture of Quebec City to farmland and tiny villages. Our next stop was in the village of Sainte Pétronille at the Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans.

Chocolate and Lunch on Île d’Orléans

Naturally, you cannot take us to a chocolate shop and expect us to leave empty handed.

The Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans has been welcoming visitors at its Sainte Pétronille location since 1998. The shop produces handmade chocolates using Belgian chocolate and has become especially well known for its chocolate dipped ice cream during the warmer months.

Since it was around lunchtime, we grabbed a quick sandwich and, of course, a few bites of chocolate. You have to support the local economy.

After eating, we walked across the street toward the shoreline, where we found one of the prettiest views of the entire day. From there we could look across the St. Lawrence River toward Quebec City and see Montmorency Falls in the distance.

It was a completely different perspective from what we had seen earlier that morning. Between the farms, historic homes, shoreline and small businesses, Île d’Orléans would actually be worth spending an entire day exploring. The main road around the island is about 42 miles long, and there are vineyards, farms, artisan shops and six different municipalities scattered around the island. Unfortunately, we had more places to see, so it was back on the bus.

The Albert Gilles Copper Art Museum

Our next stop was one we probably would not have discovered on our own, the Albert Gilles Copper Art Museum and Studio in Château Richer. This ended up being much more interesting than I expected.

Albert Gilles was born in Paris in 1895 and learned the art of repoussé, a technique of creating designs by shaping metal from the reverse side, when he was young. After eventually moving to North America, his work took him from Detroit to California, where he worked for clients that included prominent automobile families and people in Hollywood. He later settled permanently in Quebec and became especially well known for his religious artwork.

Over the years, his studio created artwork for dozens of churches throughout North America. What makes the story even more interesting is that it remains a family business. After Albert Gilles died in 1979, his wife, daughters and later his granddaughter continued the tradition. Today, members of the family still practice and preserve the copper repoussé techniques he helped make famous.

The connection to our next stop was fascinating too. The Gilles studio created several important pieces for the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré, including copper doors, a tabernacle and other religious artwork. After seeing the craftsmanship up close, we got back on the bus and headed to see some of that work in its much grander setting.

The Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré

Nothing really prepared us for the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré. As our bus came around the corner and the basilica suddenly came into view, I could not believe the size of it.

It was enormous. I told Scott it was probably the largest church I had ever seen in person outside of the Vatican.

The history of the shrine dates all the way back to 1658, when the first small chapel dedicated to Saint Anne was built in the area. Over the centuries, the site became an increasingly important pilgrimage destination. The previous basilica was destroyed by fire in 1922, and construction of the massive basilica standing there today began in 1923. It was officially inaugurated in 1934.

Today, Sainte Anne de Beaupré remains one of the most important pilgrimage sites in North America and receives more than a million pilgrims annually. We had about an hour to explore, and there was much more here than simply walking inside the basilica.

The interior was incredible. Everywhere we looked there were mosaics, stained glass, sculptures and ornate details. The sheer scale of the building was difficult to capture in photos.

We also walked across the street to explore more of the sanctuary grounds, including the Memorial Chapel, the smaller chapels and the Way of the Cross. The Memorial Chapel commemorates the earlier church that welcomed pilgrims from 1676 until 1876, while the hillside Way of the Cross includes fourteen stations depicting moments from the Passion of Jesus.

Whether you visit for religious reasons, architecture, history or simply curiosity, it is an impressive place. This was definitely one of the unexpected highlights of our Quebec City trip.

Back to Quebec City for Cocktails

Our half day tour returned us to Quebec City at around 3:00 p.m., which gave us plenty of time to continue exploring.

Or, more accurately, plenty of time for a cocktail.

We stopped at Mordu for an afternoon drink and started talking about our plans for dinner.

We already had dinner reservations somewhere else that evening, but while sitting at Mordu we pulled up the menu and started looking at it again. The more we looked at it, the less excited everyone became. Eventually we all came to the same conclusion. We did not want to go, so we canceled our dinner plans. Now it was evening in Quebec City, we had no dinner reservation and no real plan. Instead, we decided to turn our evening into a pub crawl!

An Unplanned Quebec City Pub Crawl

Our first stop was Maison Livernois, where we ordered appetizers and drinks. Maison Livernois is both a distillery and pub with a huge focus on gin. In fact, they offer more than 250 different gins along with their own house spirits. It was a fun place to start our unofficial progressive dinner.

From there we made our way to Le Chic Shack, directly across from Château Frontenac, where we stopped for another cocktail. Le Chic Shack is known for its casual Quebec comfort food, burgers and poutine, and its location right in the middle of Old Quebec makes it an easy place to stop while wandering around.

Our final stop of the evening was La Buchette, the smaller sister restaurant of La Bûche, which specializes in casual Quebec inspired food. By this point, our canceled dinner reservation had turned into a very successful evening.

No reservations. No real itinerary. Just wandering around Old Quebec, stopping wherever looked interesting and turning appetizers and cocktails into dinner. Sometimes that is the best way to travel.

Another Fantastic Day in Quebec City

Day 3 turned out to be one of the most diverse days of our entire Quebec City trip. And we were not done with Quebec City yet.

Be sure to tune in next week as we continue exploring Quebec City and finally get back on the water for a cruise down the St. Lawrence River!

As always, thank you for following our journey and boating blog. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel (see link below) to stay updated on boat tours and upcoming trips.

Cheers, Scott and Ally